NBAA Lauds ICAO Proposals for Aircraft Emissions, Noise

NBAA is welcoming International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) committee proposals to limit aircraft emissions and reduce noise levels in the near term. The Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) at ICAO wrapped up three years of work last Thursday with recommendations for creating both a metric and standards for carbon-dioxide emissions, as well as for reducing aircraft noise levels by 2020.

“These accomplishments highlight a spirit of global cooperation among nations when it comes to aviation policymaking,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Our association, along with the International Business Aviation Council and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, worked diligently with these groups to create standards that are technically and economically feasible, as well as environmentally beneficial.”

He said the emissions proposal “represents a milestone,” since it provides a “meaningful way to standardize and measure emission reductions,” as part of the industry’s goal to lower aircraft emissions by 2050. Meanwhile, the proposed Chapter 14 noise standards call for a seven-decibel reduction in noise generated by aircraft weighing more than 121,300 pounds built after 2017 and after 2020 for smaller aircraft. Several new business jets, including the Gulfstream G650, already meet the proposed Chapter 14 standards.

The ICAO Council will review the CAEP’s recommendations this spring, and the ICAO General Assembly will take them up for approval later this year.